Top Stories Today – May 15, 2019
Top Stories Today – May 15, 2019
Trade war sowing seeds of doubt in US farmers
The ongoing trade dispute between the United States and China, initially sparked by Trump’s tariffs on imported aluminum and steel, is now impacting most farms across the country. As US farmers head to the fields to plant this spring, they are facing a potential sixth consecutive year of declining farm income, because of international tariffs that have depressed prices for their grain products as well as increased costs for the materials to produce and store them.
Short-term concern over US trade policy is turning into long-term fear for farmers, who face uncertainty over congressional support for a new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, and the impact of China’s retaliatory tariffs on US grain exports. While negotiations continue, the Trump administration says it is actively working on a new financial assistance program to help farmers weather the continuing trade storm. The Voice of America
US and Russia signal desire to improve relations
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said nearly two hours of meetings Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about “nearly every issue facing our two countries” were productive, though there appeared to be no major breakthroughs. At a joint news conference with Lavrov following the talks, Pompeo said the US is willing to rebuild its relationship with Russia, but it expects its Russian counterparts to act on it with all seriousness. Putin said he had spoken to US President Donald Trump several days ago, and he got the impression that Trump indeed “intends to rebuild US-Russian relations and contacts in order to solve the issues of mutual interest.”
Experts said the meetings in Sochi demonstrated that even in cases when US and Russian interests overlap in certain parts of the world, it should be viewed as a mere coincidence, rather than a pattern. Pompeo’s trip comes a few weeks ahead of a Group of 20 summit meeting June 28-29 in Osaka, Japan, with both Putin and President Trump expected to attend, and meet. The Voice of America
US pulls non-emergency staff from Iraq
he US state department has ordered the departure of “non-emergency employees” from Iraq, amid rising tensions between the US and Iraq’s neighbor Iran. Staff at the embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Irbil must leave as soon as possible on commercial transport.
The US military said on Tuesday that the threat level in the Middle East had been raised in response to intelligence about Iran-backed forces in the region. It contradicted a British general who had said there was no increased threat. BBC
Alabama approves most restrictive abortion ban
Alabama’s state Senate voted and approved one of the most controversial and restrictive abortion laws in the country. The ban prevents women from seeking abortions by making any abortions a felony for the doctor who performs them, making this different than the so-called “heartbeat” bills that have passed in other states recently, like Georgia. Those bills point to the detection of a fetal heartbeat as the point at which an abortion is banned, but the Alabama ban goes further.
The Alabama measure does not provide any exemptions for cases of rape or incest, meaning that the women or children who are victims in those cases would have to carry a pregnancy to term. The only exception allows for abortions in cases where the woman’s health is at risk. After the vote passed 25-6, the ACLU of Alabama announced on Twitter that they would file a lawsuit to stop the abortion ban. ABC News
WH denies reported military plans against Iran
President Trump on Tuesday denied that his administration is looking at military plans to target Iran, but conceded that he “absolutely” would consider such a plan. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan shared a military plan that includes sending up to 120,000 troops to the Middle East if Iran attacks US forces or ramps up work on nuclear weapons, administration officials told The New York Times on Monday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States “fundamentally” does not seek a war with Iran, though he promised to respond in “appropriate fashion” if American interests are attacked. Iranian officials said “there won’t be any war.” Trump called the Times story “fake news” but said “if we did that we’d send a hell of a lot more troops than that.” The New York Times, The Week
Donald Trump Jr. agrees to testify before the Senate
Donald Trump Jr. has reached a deal with the Senate Intelligence Committee to appear for a second closed-door interview in June, according to people familiar with the matter, ending a tense standoff between the president’s son and the panel’s Republican chairman.
Under the deal’s terms, Trump Jr. will testify for up to four hours and address a limited number of questions, these people said on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations. The committee’s chairman and vice chairman, Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), had no comment. Alan Futerfas, a lawyer for Trump Jr., declined to comment. The Washington Post
San Francisco bans facial recognition technology
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 8-1 on Tuesday to prohibit the use of facial recognition technology by police and municipal agencies. The technology is being used across the United States in airports, stadiums, and other places where a large number of people gather, with law enforcement agencies turning to the tech in order to search for suspects.
In San Francisco, the technology is only used by police at the airport and ports, which are all under federal jurisdiction and exempt from the ban. Similar bans are being considered in other California cities and Massachusetts. The New York Times via The Week